Preparation

Patient must fast 8 hours before the test.
You will lie on your back on a table and a large scanning camera will be positioned closely above your abdomen. After the radioactive material (radioisotope) is injected, the camera will scan and produce images as the radioisotope passes through your liver, gallbladder and small intestine. You need to lie very still during each scan to avoid blurring the images.
After visualization of the gallbladder, a substance (cholecystokinin, CCK) that stimulates the gallbladder may also be injected into your vein during the scans. Alternative method to stimulate gallbladder contraction is the orally administration of ENSURE (8 oz.). The images taken after gallbladder stimulation can help determine whether the gallbladder is functioning normally.